we have the technology. >> reporter: is now reality. dr. mark kumyan spent 25 years working on a medical marvel you have to see to believe. >> those who are blind can have a foreseeable solution. >> reporter: it's the first fda-approved eye implant. the argus ii is a video camera, wirelessly sending images to the brain. it may allow people to detect light and dark in the environment. the blind can see something again. >> one of the things i can do now is laundry. my husband had to put the colored clothes all together in a pile. with the glasses, i'm able to do that myself. >> reporter: kathy blake is 61 and has been blind for 23 years. but after a two-hour surgery, kathy has a new perspective. >> the glasses really help me be more outdoors, with mobility, walking. >> reporter: right now, the device is only approved for retinitis p retinitis pigmentosa. complete vision loss. only about 100,000 people in the u.s. suffer from it. the device could be used to treat millions who can't see. >> i think that the future for this is going to be big. >